Date: Feb-Mar 2011
Barrel Cleaning, Kit Wine Tannins and Proper Sulfite Levels
MEMBERS ONLYIt seems to me like your Carmenère is a candidate for one of the “Wine Wizard’s” cheapest, easiest and most favorite ways to improve a tannic wine; egg white fining!
Making Wine From Juice
FREEYou may be curious about a way of making wine intermediate between using fresh fruit and making kit wines. Increasingly popular, the hobby of making wine from grape juice comes in two
Sauvignon Blanc: The ‘wild white”
FREESauvignon Blanc originated in the Loire Valley of France, and people started cultivating it as a wine grape starting sometime in the 19th century.
Can I Reduce Tannins in a Wine Kit Without Aging?
MEMBERS ONLYIt seems to me like your Carmenère is a candidate for one of the “Wine Wizard’s” cheapest, easiest and most favorite ways to improve a tannic wine; egg white fining! What could be simpler (or more traditional) than grabbing an egg or two from the fridge. Egg whites are mostly made up of a pure
Can I Salvage an Oak Barrel if I Burned a Sulfur Stick While the Barrel Was Wet?
MEMBERS ONLYI think your barrels should be salvageable. Since you fished out the sulfur stick and are aware that you might have some residual sulfurous acid hanging about, you’ve already won half the battle; you know you need to do something to neutralize any acid in there. I would imagine you could get rid of most
The MLF manufacturer’s instructions say the wine should be less than 15 ppm. Isn’t that risking spoilage?
MEMBERS ONLYSince you don’t mention whether the 15 ppm is free or total SO2, it’s tough for me to refer specifically to either the instructions or your protocol. However, I routinely add up to 30–40 ppm total sulfur dioxide to my reds pre-primary fermentation and then inoculate with my ML bacteria after the wine is dry
Oak Barrel Chemistry
FREEThe benefits of fermenting or aging wine in toasted oak barrels are indisputable and unmatched by any other type of wood. Not only do oak compounds impart aromas and flavors as well
A Vineyard Education
FREEBack in 1995 I took my first viticulture course. I had returned from a short stint as a college instructor in Northern Minnesota, which proved a bit too cold for a third
“Hip” Winemaking: Dry Finish
FREEIt was February of 2009 when our fascination with winemaking began. My wife Jan and I had planned on making rhubarb as our initial batch. The fruit had been waiting patiently in